A Light For the Lost
by Hisha P
Summary: "I don't remember ever seeing this part of the woods before. Wait, what am I doing in the woods? I swear I was in town minutes ago."
1. Chapter 1

I don't remember ever seeing this part of the woods before. Wait, what am I doing in the woods? I swear I was in town minutes ago. I stop walking to take a look all around me. Since I have no idea how I got here in the first place, I don't know how to go back either. This isn't good. What if I remain lost forever? What if these unknown woods are home to some crazy axe murderer or –

I should find a way to leave the forest before dark instead of just standing here. I take my phone from my shoulder bag ; I remember downloading some GPS app the other day. Oh, wait, there's no wi-fi or any network and the app doesn't know where I am either. Great.

I put the phone back in my bag and keep walking on the trail. Once I reach civilisation again, getting back home should be easier, right? I'll be able to call my dads and they'll bring me back to the safety of our home and everything will be fine, mostly.

The forest is progressively getting darker as hours pass and I'm still walking on the same trail. Don't these woods end at some point? Dad and daddy will be dead worried if they don't see me get back home tonight!

An owl hoots in the distance as night falls. A few steps further on the path, a fallen tree trunk blocks the way. Maybe I can get around it…

I step on something and fall face first in the dirt right in front of the obstacle. I stand up, dust myself off and look down to find the culprit.

Turns out it is a little black turtle that is now upside down and doesn't seem to be able to get up.

"You ok?" I ask it, crouching down.

The animal doesn't seem injured. I help it get back on its little feet and watch it crawl away towards another trail perpendicular to the one I've been following. Let's go this way too since the first path is blocked. I quickly go past the turtle I stepped on but find another, identical one further down the path. And a third one a few metres away. Where are they going? Some nearby body of water maybe? 'Guess I'll soon find out.

* * *

It is night time now. The only source of light in the forest is the screen of my phone and I have to keep it focused on the ground so I don't step on another black turtle. There are more and more of those as I keep walking. As I enter a clearing in the woods, the moonlight reveals a tall, humanoid silhouette near its centre. I stop walking and hold my breath, not knowing if I should ask them for help or run away.

Whoever it is doesn't seem to be moving.

I quietly start breathing again then whisper :

"…Hello?"

I repeat the question louder but don't get any reply.

There are dozens of those turtles in the clearing and they all seem to crawl towards the stranger for some reason. What is going on here?

Even though I probably shouldn't, I slowly approach the dark silhouette, careful not to hurt any reptile in the process.

"Excuse me?" I ask. "I'm lost and…"

I finally direct my tiny light right on the silhouette… and drop my phone.

"_What the hell is that?!_" I scream as I take a few steps back.

Whatever this _thing_ is, it definitely isn't human.

I trip and fall on the black turtles right in front of it. Good job, Aileen… Hey, are those… tree roots? It was a tree all along? I feel really stupid now. Granted it is the creepiest tree I've ever seen, but still…

And what is that thing between the roots? I reach with my arms to grab it before standing up again. It looks like some old oil lamp. Who could have left that here?

Actually, it doesn't matter right now. If I can light it up, it could help me find my way through the darkness. After all, my phone battery won't last forever.

Turning my back to the spooky tree, I look for the glow of my phone on the ground. Ah, here it is, under one of the many critters. I pick it up then inspect the lantern a bit more. Looks like there still is a little bit of oil in there. Good thing : my cellphone is going to die soon.

Let's see if I still have that lighter Greg gave to me that one time. I knew it would come in handy one day! Oh, here it is, at the very bottom of my little bag.

Time to light up the lantern.

* * *

I didn't expect an old-fashioned lantern to be so bright! It blinded me for a second before I turned it around so the light was away from my face. Now that's better. I guess I should –

I can't help but let out a loud scream as pain strikes my entire body and soul, making me fall on my knees, still clutching the oil lamp. And then the pain disappears just as fast as it came. What was that? Was it because I looked into the light? Wait, no, that doesn't make sense. Then again, finding myself in unknown woods while on my way home from school doesn't make sense either and it still happened. Maybe lightning up the lantern wasn't such a good idea, but either way I need this thing.

As I take a few steps forwards, the turtles move aside to let me pass. Well, that's new.

I glance back at the weird tree behind me. I only got a glimpse of it under the weak light of my cellphone ; maybe after a second glance under my new light it won't be so bad…

I was wrong. It's still bad. Even though the bottom part looks almost like a normal tree, the top part looks pretty much human, if humans were covered in anguished faces and holes everywhere and had branches coming out of their heads like some kind of antlers. And also, some kind of oil is oozing from all of these holes. Gross.

Wait, oil? Why does it ooze oil?

Nevermind, let's leave this creepy place immediately. The sooner I get out of these woods, the sooner I'll be back home with my dads. I run out of the clearing and as far away as I can from whatever that tree thing is.


	2. Chapter 2

Oh, a house over there near the river! It looks like an old grist mill. I wonder if it's inhabited? If not, at least I'll have shelter for the rest of the night. I'm tired of walking.

As I reach the door, I listen closely to any noise that might come from the inside. The muffled sound of two voices can be heard : this place _is_ inhabited. I hope they will let me use their phone!

I hesitate a second or two before finally knocking on the door. At last, someone who can help me find out where I am! Very soon I'll be able to put this whole unexpected trip to the forest behind me.

A red-haired girl about my age wearing an old-fashioned blue dress opens.

"What are you doing outside at this hou- wait, is that… the _Dark Lantern_? Did you light it up?"

Whatever is going on, the urgency in her voice as she asks that last question makes it clear it's extremely important.

"Wha- this lantern? Yes, I – I needed it and -"

"Beatrice? What's happening?" asks another feminine voice inside the house.

The girl name Beatrice moves slightly aside to let her friend, a brown-haired girl in green a grey clothes, see me.

"She lit the lantern!" the redhead explains.

The brunette takes a step back.

"I… I'll go wake up my father, he knows more about the Beast…" she says before rushing out of the candlelit room.

Beast? What do beasts have to do with anything?

Beatrice invites me inside and sits me down at the table. I made a terrible mistake, didn't I?

"Sorry, I'm completely lost… in every definition of the word. Where are we? What's going on?" I ask her, putting the lantern down.

Before she could reply, the other girl comes back, followed by a man I assume is her father.

"What have you done?!" he shouts, pointing at the old oil lamp and advancing towards me. "The Beast's lantern should never be lit up again!"

"S-sorry, I didn't know, I still don't know what's going on, what is that beast, pleaseexplainIamsolost!" I reply, trembling in my chair.

"Did he come back to life?" he asks, grabbing both my shoulders and shaking me.

"Who?"

"My father is talking about the Beast" his daughter explains calmly. "His soul was in this lantern, but Father killed him by blowing it out. He told me the Beast became another Edelwood tree after that…"

"Wait, there was a creepy tree there… but when I left, it was still in the same state and with those empty dead eyes and – and oil oozing everywhere."

"Are you certain nothing happened when you lit up the lantern?"

"Well, actually, something did happen. All of a sudden I was in such pain I couldn't even stand anymore. It was like my soul was ripped out or something. And then it went away."

Dead silence follows my words.

* * *

The Woodsman (as Beatrice called him) wants to check the Beast's state immediately, just to make sure, so the four of us are walking back to that clearing with the Dark Lantern to guide us. "Dark Lantern" sounds like an oxymoron, but it seems to fit here. The old man briefly tells me everything about the Beast along the way and how this monster tricked him into basically feeding lost souls to the very lantern I am holding right now.

"What did I get myself into?" I ask myself aloud. "I just wanted to get back home…"

"Welcome to the Unknown, young lady", the Woodsman says. "You're more lost than you realise."

What is that supposed to mean?

And here's that clearing again. I hand the lantern to the adult so he can check the creepy tree himself and see it still is the most terrifying plant ever.

"At least the Beast's not coming back…right?" the Woodsman's daughter says.

"Our friend here said something about her soul being ripped out, didn't she?" Beatrice pointed out.

Is she implying what I think? That doesn't sound good at all. And the flame inside the oil lamp is flickering and its light is growing weaker…

I don't feel good. Oh no. No, no, no…

* * *

I open my eyes and quickly find out I am lying on a bench near a fireplace. The sun is shining through the window. I sit up and rub my eyes. Sounds of footsteps and people talking to each other come from all directions, muffled by the walls.

A door opens and the Woodsman's daughter enters.

"Oh, you're awake", she notices. "Are you alright?"

"More or less", I reply. "What happened?"

"You passed out when the flame was just about to run out of fuel. We didn't want to see you die so… My father had to cut down what was left of the Beast to get some oil. Beatrice said he got what he deserved. The Beast, I mean."

"So… if I got everything right, I'm linked to the lantern now?"

The brunette nods. I can't help the tears forming in my eyes.

"I-I don't want to die and become a creepy-ass tree! I don't want to hurt anyone! I just want to go back home and tell my dads I'm ok and… I won't be ok, will I?"

She sits next to me and places her hand on my shoulder.

"Maybe there's another way?"

She sounds like someone who is trying to convince themselves more than the person they are speaking to.

"We'll find something", she continues as I curl up into a ball on the red bench.

"By the way, I never caught your name?" the Woodsman's daughter asks.

The diversion is more than welcome.

"Aileen. With an A. You?"

"Clover. You're not from around here ; how did you end up in the Unknown?"

"No idea. I was on my way home from school, crossed the road just like every day, and then I was in the woods. Something must have happened but I can't remember what. Do you think I still have a chance to see my family again?"

Her father enters the room before she can reply and sets the still shining lantern and a bottle of oil beside me. I thank him, my voice barely above a whisper. I guess it is my burden now…


	3. Chapter 3

Beatrice's family, who owns the house, invited me to share their lunch. This is more than welcome given that I haven't eaten since yesterday at school. During the meal, Beatrice's mother and her (many) other children informs me that Clover's father helped with house repairs before and regularly visits their home with his daughter. And something about him living here at some point too. I'm too distracted to get every detail.

I have no idea how this works, but apparently if the lantern goes out I die, but to keep it lit I have to chop down trees that used to be people. Or something twisted like that. Let's ask the Woodsman if I can use another kind of oil. That would solve the problem.

Oh… according to him, regular oil doesn't quite work.

"Believe me, I tried… The Beast wasn't too pleased about it", he recalls.

Shit. It's either die or burn lost souls, is it? Is there no escape? Nothing? Do I at least get to contact my family in any way before it's too late?

"Can I use your phone?" I ask Beatrice's parents as I help clear the table after lunch.

"Our what?"

What kind of house doesn't have a phone?

First the old-timey clothes, then this. Either I somehow went back in time or these people rejected modern technology. Or I'm in a different dimension altogether, which would explain humanoid beasts turning into trees and magic soul-sucking lanterns.

"Forget it. Where's the nearest town?"

"There's Pottsfield a few hours away, but when they'll recognise the Dark Lantern they won't want to approach you", explains Clover. "Father told me he had some problems with this…"

As if the lantern didn't create enough problems already! I should have continued on my way and never picked it up…

* * *

Time to leave now. I just hope I have enough oil to either go back home or contact my dads in any way. I already said goodbye to the Woodsman and Beatrice's family, but Beatrice herself and Clover aren't in the house ; I'll find them outside on my way to the next town I guess.

I was right : they're sitting by the river together, holding hands as a big dog is lying on the ground near them, guarding the two girls. As they hear me approaching, they quickly let go of each other's hand and look away.

"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone", I smile. "Thanks for everything and goodbye."

"Are you sure you want to leave?" the brunette asks.

"You don't have much time and…" adds the redhead.

"I'll try to get back home before the flame goes out."

Holding the Dark Lantern in one hand and waving the girls goodbye with the other, I set out to Pottsfield.

As I walk along the trail for what feels like an eternity, I mutter a few songs to myself in attempt to take my mind off of the current situation. It's not very effective. How long do I have before I need to use the bottles the Woodsman gave me? Will these be enough? How will I explain everything to daddy and dad? If I even get to see them again…

How long have I been in the Unknown anyway? I'm not really sure anymore.

I keep walking for hours, alone with my thoughts. The forest is beautiful in daytime. Maybe I could just stay here. After all, even if I get back to my family, they'd just see me die when my flame goes out. Sure they'll be worried about me and will be looking for me, but at least they'll still have some hope I'm alive somewhere, right? On the other hand, not knowing about my fate might be even worse… I just don't know.

I take a pause to grab a bottle of oil from my bag and refill the lantern before continuing down the path. Please, let it be enough…

Ah, here's the town in the distance! Well, it looks more like an old village with some wooden houses in the middle of corn- and pumpkin fields. Near the entrance of Pottsfield, some kind of scarecrow with a large pumpkin head stands here holding a stick. Well, I doubt it was intended to be a scarecrow, or they would have put it in the fields instead of making it into an inanimate town guard.

As I am about to walk past it, it turns out I was wrong about the "inanimate" part : it blocks my way with its stick. What the?

"You can't enter our town, Beast", the pumpkin man states. "There's nothing for you here."

"B-Beast? I'm not the Beast, the Woodsman killed him long before I arrived! I just need help to-"

"You can't fool me with your lantern and glowing eyes! Leave now!" he shouts, pushing me away from the building with his stick.

Glowing eyes? What glowing eyes?

I try to protest, but he won't listen ; I have no choice but to run back to the forest. Clover was right : people who see me carrying the lantern won't be willing to help me. Maybe if I hid it somewhere and went in without it – no, I can't leave it unattended. The only people who were willing to help me couldn't get me home.

Is that it then? Am I going to just die here because no-one else will help me or even listen to what I say?

* * *

I have been wandering the woods for days now. What did I even do before finding my lantern? Anyway, I should probably refill it again now ; I reach for the last small bottle in my bag and pour what's left inside in the dark-coloured metal object.

Wait, I don't have any other refill! This isn't good. Not good at all. How long do I have before – hey, what was that noise? It sounds like a child sobbing…

And here's the little kid over here, curled up behind a bush in the dark forest.

"Are you lost?" I ask.

The child goes quiet and looks up at me.

"Y-yes… who are you?"

"I'm Aileen. I'm lost too. 'Been here for… I'm not really sure. I don't remember."

"So… there's no way out?"

"I don't think so."

The kid remains quiet, as though they didn't even have enough energy left to cry anymore. I crouch down and put my free hand on their shoulder, and vines with dark orange leaves start rapidly growing all around them. Did _I_ do that? Is this child turning into an Edelwood tree like that Woodsman said?

Oh, what have I done?

"Kiddo? You ok?"

No reply. I stare at my own hand for a while, then at my lantern, then at the child, and at the lantern again. This kid and I both are too lost to ever leave the Unknown, however I can still avoid becoming just another creepy tree in the forest…

"You have beautiful eyes…" the child whispers.

* * *

"_In the dead of night_

_I hear 'em sigh_

_The children of the night are calling_

_Hear 'em cry_

_They still defy_

_Endlessly I feel like falling_

_Now they're all my children of the night…_"

I interrupt my singing when I hear another voice in the distance. Hiding in the shadows of the forest, I spot a young man approaching.

"Anyone here?" he calls.

I don't answer nor let him see me. He isn't from around here, but I'll make sure he becomes part of my forest. My lantern needs feeding. Good thing it's still daytime or this lost soul would have spotted my light easily.

Let's follow him for a while. There still is hope in him, but it's only a matter of time before I can have power over him. Just gotta wait…

He moves on once it has become clear to him that he won't find the source of the singing he heard. I follow him from a distance, my feet not making any sound on the fallen leaves. I don't even need to keep the young man in my line of sight : I know my forest well enough to be able to find him again without much trouble if necessary.

Given the direction he's going in, he'll soon reach that cabin in the woods. I've never approached it, but I know my soon-to-be victim will be able to receive some help here. No matter : he's only delaying the inevitable.

I am getting close to the clearing as the young man reaches the cabin. I remain hidden behind the trees, waiting.

I hear two more people approaching from behind me and therefore turn around to see them. Turns out they're teenage girls holding each other's hand as they walk. They come to a sudden halt as they spot me and take a look at the lantern hanging from my left antler.

"Aileen?" the brown-haired one asks, her eyes wide in fear.

"Sorry, I don't know any Aileen", I reply. "You two lovebirds don't happen to be lost, by any chance?"

"No… but you are", she whispers.

"Don't be ridiculous, how could I possibly be lost in my own forest?"

"That's not what I meant."

"She meant you've become a monster" the red-haired one adds.

"So?" I shrug. "Just leave me alone, I have other things to take care of."

I turn my back to them and go find another spying spot. These humans know nothing. I couldn't care less what they think of me. I only care about my lantern and keeping it lit.

"_The fire, the fire still burns!_" I sing to myself as I walk.

A while later, I hear someone shout "get her!" then the two lovebirds from earlier tackle me into the ground.

"I'm sorry Aileen, but my father didn't kill the Beast to have another one lurking in the woods!"

What is she even talking about?

I push both girls away from me and get back on my feet. Now, this means war.

"Are you ready to see true darkness?" I shout as the light around us flees the scene at the exception of the one glowing in my lantern… which is now in the redhead's hands. Oh no…

"Are _you_?" she asks as she opens the little glass piece protecting the flame.

She knows. How?

"DON'T!"

"We have to."

She blows the lantern. True darkness falls.

* * *

[Notes : The songs quoted in this chapter are Children of the Night by Lordi and The Fire Still Burns by Twisted Sister. I thought that, while the new Beast enjoys singing just as much as the first one, her tastes would be different. And if any more Beasts are made, each one of them would have a very different style to sing in, I think.]


End file.
